Joint Nordic Statement at the UNSC open debate on Peace and security through preventive diplomacY
Mr
President,
I have the
pleasure to deliver this statement on behalf of the Nordic countries: Denmark,
Iceland, Norway, Sweden and my own country, Finland.
We thank
the briefers for their valuable insights and welcome this exchange on
preventive diplomacy and how the UN principal organs can work together to
achieve this common objective.
Recently,
we have witnessed several outbreaks and escalations of violent conflicts.
Unfortunately, responses to crises have too often been reactive and sporadic,
rather than preventive. Vital signals might have been lost, driving factors
behind conflicts not properly understood or maybe our foresight and analysis
have not been comprehensive and inclusive enough. Recent events have underlined
the need for better preparedness, strategic foresight, and above all, enhanced
cooperation and coordination to enable effective early action.
As we speak
about conflict prevention, the pacific settlement of disputes - namely;
political, diplomatic solutions - should always be the primary option. This
applies, whether we talk about active peace mediation in the event of crisis or
more long-term, structural work addressing the root causes of conflicts.
Inclusive political structures and processes should also be ensured, with full
and meaningful participation of women and youth.
Mr.
President,
As violent
conflicts are becoming more complex, the need for integrated multi-sectoral
approaches linking conflict prevention, human rights, protection and the
2030-Agenda are vital. Effective conflict prevention is not possible without a
comprehensive approach, underlining the importance of understanding political
realities of a context and including all relevant stakeholders in the process.
In this, we need long-term commitment and cooperation by all the actors on the
development-humanitarian-peace nexus. Moreover, protection of civilians and
civilian objects should be at the center of crisis response in order to achieve
sustainable peace and reconciliation.
The UN’s
principal organs all have key roles to play in preventing conflicts and
sustaining peace – within their respective mandates. We encourage closer
cooperation between the Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission as
well as the Human Rights Council and ECOSOC, respectively. We urge
the Security Council to strengthen its engagement with the Peacebuilding
Commission (PBC) and its unique advisory role. Interaction and cooperation with
Human Rights Council and the wider human rights architecture is also crucial as
human rights violations are often the first signs of emerging conflicts.
The
International Court of Justice contributes to the prevention and resolution of
international disputes in accordance with its mandate. The submission of a
dispute to the Court should not be regarded as an unfriendly act. It is rather
an act to fulfil the obligation of all States to settle their international
disputes peacefully. We call upon States that have not yet done so to consider
accepting the jurisdiction of the Court.
Mr
President,
In his
Report “Our Common Agenda”, the Secretary-General pays special attention to
enhancing conflict prevention by investing in prevention and peacebuilding and
strengthening international foresight. He also calls for better preparedness,
partnerships, digital cooperation, and a more participatory UN, to name but a
few of Secretary-General’s proposals, which can all contribute to more
comprehensive and effective conflict prevention.
The Nordic
countries support this broad approach to peace and security, and we will do our
best to help to turn these commitments into concrete actions. We hope that
through strengthening system-wide cooperation within the UN system and
improving our tools for early warning, we can build a true culture of
prevention and deliver on the promise of the UN Charter to “save succeeding
generations from the scourge of war”.